Former World Boxing Organization super featherweight champion Masayuki Ito of Yokohama Hikari Boxing Gym stopped former Japanese super lightweight kingpin Valentine Hosokawa of Kadoebi Boxing Gym in the eighth round in a highly touted lightweight nontitle bout on July 3 at Tokyo’s Korakuen Hall.

The technical knockout of the scheduled 10-rounder came 1 minute and 17 seconds into the round after the 30-year-old Ito landed a straight right and a left hook to the head, severely staggering the 40-year-old Hosokawa. While Ito, currently ranked third in the Japanese lightweight, swarmed all over Hosokawa, ranked seventh in the division, the referee immediately stepped in to end the one-sided bout.

It was Ito’s first fight since dropping a majority decision to Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation super featherweight champion Hironori Mishiro of Watanabe Boxing Gym in a lightweight nontitle fight last December.

After the fight, Ito said, ‘’I think I was able to do a good fight. My condition was excellent. I don’t know about my future. But I will take one fight at a time.’’

With the victory, Ito, who stands 174 centimeters, improved his record to 27 wins, including 15 KOs, against three losses and a draw, while Hosokawa, who is 11-centimeter shorter than Ito, fell to a 25-9-3 win-loss-draw tally with 12KOs.